RANGERS head of youth Jimmy Sinclair has told walkaway stars Jamie Ness and Rhys McCabe they should have stayed and become legends.

As he celebrates Lewis Macleod achieving 50 first-team matches, the Youth Academy Director is bitterly disappointed Ness and McCabe are not hitting the same milestone.

Since both left in summer 2012 Ness has had just one substitute’s appearance for Stoke, while McCabe has had just two minutes of first-team action for Sheffield Wednesday in the past four months.

Sinclair said: “I’m fairly certain if Ness and McCabe had stayed they would have been in the first team and stayed there.

“I’m still disappointed they left when they did. I had faith in these young players and hoped they would look at the situation as a great opportunity to embed themselves in a Rangers team.

“They had the chance to become major names among the Rangers support. But they made their decisions for whatever reasons.

“Maybe these kids will look back and feel they made the wrong decision – but maybe not. I don’t know because I don’t converse with them any more.”

In contrast Macleod has flourished in the Rangers team and has held on to his place despite the arrival of more experienced and established players.

The club’s financial woes and 12-month registration embargo forced Ally McCoist to dip into the Academy and blood nine players.

But it is a source of pride to Sinclair and his staff that Macleod is thriving while Andy Little, Fraser Aird and Robbie Crawford are all key members of the squad.

Around 40 per cent of the current Rangers first team squad are Academy graduates and Sinclair said: “I feel that if administration hadn’t happened Lewis and Fraser would have made it anyway.

“I don’t think administration has made Rangers any less attractive to younger players. The young lads will be ready to play in the top flight as long as they continue to grow and gain experience so it holds no fears for us.”